The two most widely used platforms for practice management and electronic records software is ASP (Application Service Provider) or Locally Hosted or Client Server.

Software that utilizes an ASP platform are sometimes referred to as On Demand Software or SaaS (Software as a Service). You may hear the term SaaS so we will give you a brief overview of this as well.

Software as a Service (SaaS, typically pronounced ’sass’) is a model of software deployment whereby a provider licenses an application to customers for use as a service on demand. SaaS software vendors may host the application on their own web servers or download the application to the consumer device, disabling it after use or after the on-demand contract expires.

The other option is for clients to host the software on their internal server and purchase the licenses outright. This requires substantial capital and an internal IT department that can constantly stay on top of maintaining the server. Servers are typically out of date within 3-4 years so this model is only for those clients that can afford to update and repair the internal network.

With an ASP, the EMR application, the database (where all the patient data is stored), and computer responsible for running it (called a server) all reside in a central location outside the physician’s office, and are maintained by the EMR vendor or other third party. Clinicians and staff use a secure log-in over the Internet to access the EMR — not unlike the way they would access a secure banking site (although ASPs offer much tighter security). In contrast, with a client-server EMR system, the practice purchases and maintains the server locally.

Functionality